If you have been following the recent advancements in the world of Social Media, then you will know how the battle between Facebook & Google+ is shaping up. On one hand there is the reigning number one social network website with more than 700+ million registered users and on the other there is the most awaited social network by the top search engine giant in the world.
Right from the launch of Google+, it has been an interesting to observe how things progress with this network. Coveted to be a Facebook killer, the network has been applauded by some and criticized by others. According to a recent report by Comscore, Google+ reached its first 25 million users in just over a month, entitling itself to be the first social network to grow at such healthy rate. For sure, Google+ is a fascinating platform with tremendous potential but again, there were stories about tedious task of retaining these users and enhancing loyalty on the network.
Here are some reasons as to why we think Google+ will fail to emerge as a winner against Facebook:
Privacy…Really?
Considering that Facebook has its own set of privacy issues, Google+ could have done a far better job at it. But the fact remains unchanged that Facebook gives you the ability to keep your information much more private than Google+. Its true that managing friends and friend groups is rather difficult on Facebook but you have an option to choose who exactly gets to view your updates which is something Google+ doesn’t allow.
Circles are Confusing
The first look at circles seems to make it an interesting concept. More like a Twitter thing where you add people to various circles and name them. But in the long run it is a tedious task to manage all of these. Also’, friends should be friends in various groups which is a feature Facebook already allows, then why is there a need to even understand circles. One article, from The Economist worries that circles might limit communication, hamper the actual sharing with friends with whom you might not have connected with otherwise.
Google Will Rule You
Think about it. Do you really want Google to have all the control over you emails, chats, social networks, search and a lot more things? Agreed that it is a better way of staying integrated and connected to the world but isn’t it also a threat in itself that Google owns you? In this case, putting your eggs in different baskets is a way better option.
No Search or Hastags
Yes, Google is known and acknowledged as the search-engine giant but so far, only other users are searchable within Google Plus. Considering that in Facebook and all public content is searchable, so is in Twitter as well this feature is sorely missed in Google+. So next time you want to search something or someone, you can do it right away on Facebook or Twitter but on Google+ it’s not possible yet.
Dirty Annoying Gifs
The gif images which are rotating around the network are nothing but a replica of Orkut and its reign in India came to a halt some time back. Facebook is pretty standard and will keep the network far more interesting and appealing.
API Integration
Facebook has something called an open API which allows other networks and websites to connect back to your own Facebook profile. This becomes a very convenient platform to sign in on any other website with a single Facebook profile. Right now, Google Plus does not gel well with other applications. For example, foursquare users can have their check-ins automatically appear on Facebook, but there is no way to accomplish this on Google Plus. Google is obviously working on releasing an API, but it’s not there yet.
Brands Love Facebook Pages
If Google+ has to attract brands on their network, they have to offer something better than Facebook. And looking at they way Facebook pages are being viewed, there is no near future date as to when brands will want to switch. Also considering the amount of time and money invested on Facebook, brands will not change ships any time soon. Only if people start migrating from Facebook to Google+ then brands will stand up and take notice.
Folks at Google believe that they created a path breaking product by integrating the best features of Facebook and Twitter into one social network platform. I am not sure if that is the need of the hour even if they are confident about their product and goals. It will certainly be challenge to replace Facebook (by replace I mean bring about a revolution) and be crowned as the winner.
Source: WatBlog
Posted in: Facebook,G+,Google+,Social Networking
